Saturday, June 10, 2006

It's not Road Rage any more. No longer will we all be held accountable for our short fuses, bad tempers and lack of self-control combined with poor driving, all exacerbated by arguing with our spouse on the cellphone in heavy traffic. No more responsibility, no more mea culpas for our bad behaviour. No, now it's a mental disorder and we're off the hook. It's medicalized--like so many other phenomena of human nature--and a pill will fix all.

But why should Intermittent Explosive Disorder be confined to the roads? If I stab the woman who cuts in front of me in the supermarket lineup, if I assault my spouse, strike the children, am I not the victim of this mental disorder? Shouldn't I, too, get off with a little help from a clever lawyer and an expert physician witness? All because I forgot to take my little pill that day.

My children tell me that I'm not a party animal, nor even a party vegetable. What I have is Social Anxiety Disorder, and I demand more respect. Hey, I might even qualify for my own handicapped parking space.